Match Preview: FCD vs. NE Revs

New England lead the all-time series 22-10-1 and hold an 11-5-0 edge at
Gillette Stadium.

What's at stake?

FC Dallas wants to nab their first win of the season after collecting
just three points from their first four games. The Revolution hope to
snap a two-match losing streak in their first match since Shalrie Joseph took an
indefinite leave of absence from the club.

Last meeting

FC Dallas won 1-0 as part of a doubleheader at the Cotton Bowl on Sept.
29, 2009. Jeff Cunningham decided
the tepid affair by tallying his 16th goal of the campaign after 71
minutes to give FCD their first victory over New England since May 20,
2006.

Remember when …

In his first match back since returning from the 2006 World Cup, Clint
Dempsey assisted Taylor Twellman for the
winning strike as New England edged Dallas 1-0 at Foxborough. The win
snapped a a seven-game winless streak, which had started three weeks
before the summer tourney kicked off.

Heroes & Villains

FC Dallas central midfielders David Ferreira and Dax McCarty vs. New England central midfielders Joseph Niouky and Pat Phelan — Ferreira and McCarty spearhead FCD's
possession game in the middle of the park and create matchup problems
for opposing teams by floating into difficult spaces and keeping the
ball moving in the attacking third. Niouky and Phelan struggled to
nullify Colorado's five-man midfield last weekend, but Phelan said the
Revs adjusted their schemes to improve their positioning ahead of this
meeting with FCD's quintet.

FC Dallas right winger Atiba Harris vs. New England left winger Marko Perovic — If New England want to attack
effectively, they must find Perovic's feet early and often. Harris may
prefer to go forward, but he also deploys the type of physical approach
to make life difficult for the Serbian midfielder as the Revs try to
push forward.

Stat that makes you go “Hmm …”

New England have won six straight matches against FC Dallas at Gillette
Stadium. FCD haven't picked up three points in Foxborough since July 16,
2003.

He said it

“That's probably the frustration. Every team we've played, we've
out-possessed and out-shot and we've come away with three ties and one
loss. The loss was probably our [most dominating game], but still the
ball doesn't bounce right and you play against a goalkeeper that's
having a superb night and you make some scratch your head decisions.
We're hoping that it's just the voodoo of April and May turns things
around a little bit.” — FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman on his team's
inability to translate its performances into victories.